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Oct. 23, 1928. 4 1,688,412

E. A. DARBY cow BAG RACK Filed July 13, 19 27 Patented Get, 23, 1928.

EDWARD A. DARBY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GOLF-BAG RACK.

Application filed July 13, 1927. Serial No. 205,292.

The object of the invention is to provide improvements in racks broadly, and more especially'in racks designed for efficiently receiving and'supporting golf bags.

, It is assumed that everyone is aware of the general characteristics of golf bags, that is,

. such details as their relatively great length for their diameter, the fact that in most cases they are open at one end, that they are mostly made ofv light-weight flexible materials such as canvas and leather, and that their contents comprise golf clubs of such nature that it vent undue wear upon the bag. A plurality of these elements may then be supported in tiers between upwardly extending angle irons, so that each elen ent forms a cover for the contents of the element therebeneath. Also, a plurality of such tiers may be assembled as hereinafter described, so as to provide a rack suitable for supporting the bags of all of the members of a large association or club. I

A further and most important object is to provide adequate reinforcement for the marginal portions of each bag-supporting element, including each of the opposite ends and each ofthe lateral edge portions, so thateach element will permanently retain its original curvature, so that the unbracedlongitudinal edge portions will. remain straight and resisttendenciesto bulge or sag, and so that the constant insertion of bags into the rack elements will not be liable to bend, dent, or otherwise mutilate the exposed end portion of each element.

lVith these and other objects in mind, the present invention comprises further details I of construction, which are fully brought out in the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective View of one embodiment of the invention showing several rack elements in operative position; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a portion of a rack and comprising an end elevation of one complete rack element, a portion of an adjoining rack element and the intervening portions of the supporting angle irons in section; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of one of the supporting elements such as is shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevation of one of said elements partly in section.

This in'iprovcd rack is designed and built preferably entirely of steel or duralumin on the unit'section principle, in which each unit is onecompartment wide and as many as nine compartments high or thereabouts, providing storage space for a corresponding number of golf bags. Briefly, it is constructed with an angle steel frame, while the curved bag holders are preferably of smooth sheet steel, each being finely finished and preferably covered by suitable enamel or other protective coating. Each bag has its own compartment and if desired all compartments may be suitably numbered for the purpose of identifying the contents of each with particular members of a golf club or association; the golf clubs or sticks within the bags in this rack always lyingflat and thereby preventing warped shafts, and the rack being so designer as to insure the highest efficiency with a relatively low cost of manufacture.

In the drawings, each vertical tier is shown as comprising a forward pair of upwardly extending angle irons or the like 1 and 2 and a rear pair of similar angle irons and l. The adjacent angle irons of neighboring tiers are connected together by bolts!) which ex tend through adjacent parallel flanges thereof. The uppermost portions of each of the 7 angle irons l and 2, and 3 and i are connected by respectively forward and rear horizontally extending angle irons 6 and 7 and correspondingly positioned bottom angle irons S and 9, which latter are provided with apertures 10 in their outwardly extending flanges to afford ameans of securing the rack to the floor or other foundation. Additionally, at one side of a complete sectional rack, one of the angle irons 1 is connected to one of the angle irons 3 by horizontally extending angle irons 11, at the respective uppermost and lowermost portions of the rack. Similarly, at the other end of a complete sectional rack, or at the other side of a single section or tier when standing alone, one of the angle irons 2 is connected with one of the angle irons a at their respective uppermost and lowermost end portions by horizontally extending angle irons 12.

It is furthermore possible to employ the outwardly extendin flanges of the angle irons 11 and 12, or liierforations 13 extending therethrough, as a means of securing the racks to the fioor or otherfoundation, and at its top to secure it, if desired, to the ceiling of the room in which such rack is located.

New referring specifically to the rack element 14, each will be seen as comprising a, section of a cylinder open at its opposite ends and the laterally positioned longitudinally extending marginal edge portions 15 of which are bent, outwardly and revcrsely so as to form a reinforcing or stiffening means to positively prevent the bulging of the sides or sagging of the central portion of an element after constant use and long sustained supporting of well filled golf bags or the like.

Furthermore, each of the oppositely positioned forward and rear end edge portions of each of said elements is bent radially outwardly and revcrsely at 16 to provide a stiffening means which insures the maintenance of the original curvature of the element and withstands the tendency of golf bags hastily inserted to dent, bend, or otherwise mutilate said edge portion.

It will be noted by referring to Figs. 2 and 4: that apertures 17 extend through the four corner regions of each of said elements and also through either or both of the reinforcing revcrsely bent marginal portions 15 and 16, so that in assembling the rack of a single tier or unit, or in similarly assembling the rack of a series of such tiers or units, the bolts 5, employed to secure the vertical angle irons 1 and 2,'and 3 and 1 together, also extend through the apertures 17 (see Figs. 2 and 3), and thereby serve the double purpose of unit ing the tier units and supporting the various rack elements.

Y adjacent end of each of the respective rack elements as to afford no opposition whatever to the ready insertion into and removal of a golf bag from a rack element. Furthermore, from the fact that the inner surface at least of each "ack element is as smooth as possible and is preferably enamelled in order to insure the mamten ance of such smoothness, the

ally and when assembled are of such nature as to provide for the ready insertion into and removal of the bags longitudinally from the respective elements in contradistinction to the possibility and perhaps desirabil of placing some other articles into a rack laterally or at least other than by longitudinal movement. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. 111 a golf bag rack, the combination of a substantially semi-cylindrical open-end rack element having an unobstructed inner surface and integral lGlllfOl'CQd longitudinal portions, upwardly extending members to support the laterally opposite edge portions of said element, and means extending through said supporting members and through the reinforced edge portions of said rack element, whereby a golf bag is permitted to be inserted longitudinally in and upon the unobstructed surface of said element.

2. In a golf bag rack, the combination of a plurality of superimposed substantially semi-cylindrical open-end rack elements having relatively smooth inner surfaces and integral reinforced lateral edge portions, an-

upper rack element permitting the insertion of a golf bag into the end of a lower element only in line with the longitudinal axes of the bag and the rack element when substantially parallel, upwardly extending supporting members, and means extending through said supporting members and the reinforced edge portions of said rack elem nts, to secure said elements to said members.

3. In a golf bag rack, the combination of a vertical tier of rack elements, each elen'ient comprising a segment of a cylinder and having both its lateral and end edge portions revcrsely folded closely upon its body portion to reinforce the same against distortion, and each corner of each element being perforated through a reinforced portion of multiple thickness, angle-irons perforated inone flange and connecting the said elements, and

means extending through the perforations of said elements and said angle-irons to secure the elements and angle-ironstogether.

1. In a golf bag rack, the combination of a series of vertical tiers of rack elements, each element comprising a segment of a cylinder and having both its lateral and end edge portions revcrsely foldedclosely upon its body portion to reinforce the same against distortion, and each corner of each element being perforated through a reinforced portion of multiple thickness, angle-irons perforated in one flange and connecting the said elements of each tier, and means extending through the perforations of said elements and said angle-irons to secure the elements and angleirons together, and the angle irons of adjacent tiers of a series being connected by the 10 same means that connect said elements and angle-irons together.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

EDWVARD A. DARBY. 

